Leicester Riders lost to Surrey 89ers 86-90 to fall out of the Super League Basketball Cup at the Semi-Final stage.
It was a hard fought affair wire-to-wire, leading to Zach Jackson having a chance to tie it at the rim with four seconds left. But he stepped on the line after losing control of the ball, and the Riders fell just short.
Jackson scored seven straight in the fourth to put Leicester in position to win it. He led the team with 22 points and 7 rebounds in an impressive display. Jaylin Hunter made big plays throughout the game to keep Leicester in it, finishing with 18 on the night.
Leicester suffered from missed shots in the game, finishing 6-30 from three. Meanwhile Surrey’s shooters were on point in key moments, Nedas Cholevinskas hit four threes in the final quarter to get the 89ers over the line. The young brit finished with 19 points.
Surrey bounce back from strong Riders start
Hunter, after ending Friday’s First Leg with a game-tying three, picked up where he left off with an assist to Thompson and a fadeaway and-one from midrange.
Leicester’s rim protection made a statement to start the game with three blocks, two from the league leader Charles Thompson and one from Riley Abercrombie, who pinned Cam Gooden’s layup to the glass.
Back-to-back threes from Spencer Johnson and Abercrombie meant Leicester had a 13-5 start.
Meanwhile the Niners missed on their first four three point attempts, but 10 points in the paint in seven minutes kept them in contention in the opening period. They stayed persistent against Leicester’s shot blocking threat.
Thompson, charging downhill on the break, scored the Riders’ final points of the first with an and-one finish, before Gooden ended the period at the foul line to make it 23-19.
Surrey end half hot to take lead into the break
The Riders couldn’t find separation in the second, despite their success driving to the hole. Jackson got Leicester going in the quarter, which started with four different Leicester scorers, but 4 points from Gooden kept Surrey within a score, and Mervin James tied the game at 31 with a mid range jumper.
The Niners’ shooters made tough shots throughout the second, swishing fadeaways at a high rate. They took the lead through a contested shot from Gooden. Surrey also found their way to the foul line consistently to keep the score ticking over.
But Leicester snatched momentum with two minutes left in the half. Duke Shelton escaped in the pick-and-roll with Hunter to throw down a two-handed slam, before Jackson snatched the ball from James and threw one down on the fastbreak.
Shelton slams
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Surrey had the best of the end of the half. They scored eight straight, including two threes, making it 48-55 going into the locker rooms.
Tough shooting quarter leaves Riders in fourth quarter hole
Thompson came out of the half on a mission. He was fouled on a jam, swatted James’ shot, then stole the ball on the next possession and went coast-to-coast for two.
One man wrecking ball
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Jackson followed with an open three but Surrey kept draining threes on the other end to keep their lead. Gooden hit one on the break to make it 58-68.
Meanwhile Leicester went cold from deep. They missed threes on four straight possessions in an attempt to get back in it, making it 4-20 from three on the night.
They found form as the clock ticked down in the third. A 10-3 run made it a five point game, with Jackson hitting from the midrange behind a raucous Riders’ crowd. The third ended with Hunter at the line, who made it 70-74 with one to play.
Cholevinskas builds Surrey lead
The Riders took the lid of the three ball to start the fourth, as Hunter hit from the corner. But Cholevinskas hit two big threes to keep the Riders at arm’s length.
Thompson fed Abercrombie for a throw down to bring it to a one point difference, and the Riders had two shots for the lead from three, but missed both. On the other end, Cholevinskas stayed red hot for another two triples from the wing to make it seven with 3:24 left.
Jackson takes over to give Riders a chance late
Jackson stepped up in response, hitting a three over a contest to cut it back to four. He then picked up Jalen Ray on the other end and forced a miss inside. James stepped up for Surrey a minute later and added two to the visitor’s score, however.
Continuing his takeover in the clutch, Jackson got to the line twice in response to cut it to a one possession game. His second trip was forced after Johnson rose high for a crucial offensive board.
The ball fell to Cholevinskas to seal it with 20 seconds left, but he missed, giving Leicester to tie or take the lead. Jackson drove to the hoop but stepped on the line, giving it back to the Niners.
Jordan Hunt was sent to the foul line, making both to end the game.
"We know how important the First Leg can be."
